Locomotive fire box



Nov. 28, 1933. G. M. BEAN LOCOMOTIVE FIRE BOX Filed Feb. 13, 1931 INVEN TOR. 6M

RNEYS.

Patented Nov. 28, 1933 g UNITED STATES LoooMo'rIvE FIRE BOX Guy M. Bean, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to American Arch Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware I Application February 13, 1931. Serial No. 515,493 r '10 Claims.

This invention relates to locomotive fire boxes and is particularly concerned with certain improvements in a fire or burner pan construction especially adapted to the burning of oil;

One of the primary objects of this invention is to increase heat absorption in such fire boxes and their associated burner pans without sacrificing or impairing fuel and flame temperature in such pans.

How the foregoing together with other more specific objects and advantages are obtained will be apparent from a consideration of the following description taken with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a longitudinal vertical sectional View through a locomotive fire box adapted to the burning of oil in which various features of the present invention have been incorporated;

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section illustrating certain details of the burner pan construction;

Figure 3 is a face view of the form of refractory brick or block which I have shown as applied to various parts of the burner pan construction illustrated in Figures 1 and 2; and

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are detail views of another form of block or brick which I may employ in place of that shown in Figure 3. p

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, it will be seen that the fire box construction 7 includes or is surrounded by water walls 8 and 9 which cooperate with the crown sheet 10, throat 11, and flue sheet 12 to complete the enclosure of the fire box with the exception of its bottom wall. q

At the bottom of each of the side walls 9 (see Fig. 2) is arranged an inwardly and downwardly projecting or extending water leg or shelf 13, which, in the-embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, extends lengthwise of the fire box throughout most of the distance intervening between the throat 11 and the rear wall 8. These legs 13, in effect, form or define inclined side walls of the burner pan which is indicated in general by the reference numeral 14 in Figure 1. The space between the lower and inner edges of the shelves or legs 13 is closed as by means of refractories 15 which may be supported and arranged in any convenient conventional manner. The end walls of the burner pan construction include substantially upright refractory walls 16 and 1'7. An additional substantially horizontally disposed refractory structure 18 is disposed between the throat 11 and the wall 16 in order to complete the enclosure of the pan and box construction.

The oil burning mechanism 19, preferably, is accommodated in the space between the refractory wall 16 and the throat 11, this mechanism including a nozzle or burner 20 which is directed into the burner pan adjacent the bottom thereof through an opening such as indicated at 21 in therefractory wall 16. Finally, the bottom wall 15 of the pan construction may be provided with any suitable discharge gate means such as that indicated at'22.

According to the present invention'the inner surfaces of the shelves or legs 13' are provided with refractory structures which extend, preferably, throughout their entire length and width. These refractory structures or surfacings are preferably constructed and arranged in such manner as to result in increased burning or cornbustion temperature Within the burner pan wit-hout substantially decreasing heat absorption by the shelves 13.

It has been found that the use of shelves 13 of the character herein disclosed, without any refractory covering or surfacing, has, at least at certain times or under certain operating conditions, resulted in cooling of the fuel and flame in the burner pan to such an extent that. the efficiency of combustion was very materially impaired. On the other hand, the use of the usual relatively thick and heavy refractory elements to shield water legs or shelves of this particular character is undesirable as they materially reduce the heat absorbed by the shelves.

With the foregoing-in mind, the present invention contemplates the use of a refractory surfacing structure which is arranged, preferably, to cause a substantial reflection of heat back toward the'interior of the burner pan and the combustion chamber. At the same time, this structure is so arranged as not be materially impair the transfer of heat from the interior of the burner pan and the fire box to the legs or shelves 13.

In accordance with the showing of Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, this refractory structure takes the form of a plurality of blocks 23 which are preferably made relatively thin and provided with apertures 24 therein. These apertures in the preferred embodiment are relatively narrow but considerably elongated in order that the total surface area thereof may be distributed over more or less widely separated parts of the shelves which they cover. If desired, in order to still further increase reflection or return of heat from the refractories to the interior of the burner pan and the fire box, the edges of the apertures 24 are preferably bevelled as indicated at 25. This, of course, increases reflection by virtue of the consequent increase in brick surface exposed to the interior of the pan.

In the preferred arrangement, furthermore, the bricks 23 are supported on the shelves 13 by engagement of the lower edges thereof with indicated at 26 in Figure 2.

In Figures 4, 5 and 6 I have shown a brick or block 27 which may be used in place of those shown in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive. This brick is of solid construction and also relatively thin, and may be provided at its inner surface with any suitable irregularities such as the corrugations 28. The uneven or irregular inner surface of this brick also results in substantially increased reflection or return of heat from the refractories to the fire pan and the fuel and flame stream therein.

It will also be noted that both forms of brick above described are curved somewhat from side to side, i. e., transversely with respect to the width thereof. This is done in order that the bricks may lie or fit smoothly and evenly on the upper surface of the legs 13 which, in the usual construction, are also somewhat curved or arcuate. However, it should be noted that if desired, the bricks may be curved lengthwise thereof where they are positioned on the legs 13 with their greater dimensions (length) extending along the legs rather than transversely thereof.

In considering the operation of the constructions above described it should be borne in mind that while it has already been proposed to utilize the walls of an oil burner p an to increase the absorption surfaces of the locomotive (by means of inwardly and downwardly projecting water legs of the character above discussed), still the efliciency resulting from this increase in absorption surfaces, heretofore, has resulted in a net decrease in steaming capacity on account of the fact that the additional absorption surface reduced the fuel and flame temperature in the fire pan below the point at which the most efficient combustion of the fuel oil could take place. The fact that the water shelves or legs 13 are disposed relatively closely together has a tendency to augment the cooling action thereof over that produced by the relatively widely spaced side water walls 9. Where such water legs are used, therefore, in an oil burner pan, some shielding of the flame is highly advantageous in order to maintain the general efiiciencyof the locomotive.

By the use of relatively thin refractory surfacing structures, particularly when configured or shaped as illustrated in the-accompanying drawing, I am enabled to obtain the advantages of burner pan water legs and at the same time prevent substantial decrease in combustion temperature.

The irregular surface configuration presented toward the interior of the pan, furthermore, appears to augment or build up combustion temperature by heat reflection from the relatively large refractory surface area exposed, even where the bricks are apertured to permit some direct radiation to the water legs.

I claim:

1. A burner pan construction for an oilburning locomotive fire box having generally upright side water walls, including a water leg projecting inwardly and downwardly from one of said side water walls and defining, at least in part, a wall of the pan construction, refractories disposed adjacent the lower edge of said leg and forming, at least in part, another wall of the pan, and a refractory surfacing structure for said leg supported thereon, at least in part, by engagement with saidrefractories.

2. In an oil-burning fire box construction having generally upright side water walls, a burner pan defined, at least in part, by a water leg extended inwardly from a side wall of the fire box,,

and a relatively thin refractory surfacing structure substantially covering said leg and having a substantially uneven surface disposed toward the interior of the pan.

3. A burner pan construction for a waterwalled oil-burning locomotive fire box, including a water leg projecting inwardly and downwardly from a water wall and defining, at least in part, a wall of the pan construction, and a refractory surfacing structure for said leg having an uneven face disposed toward the interior'of the pan to provide relatively large surface exposure thereof.

4. In an oil-burning fire box construction having generally upright side water walls, a burner pan defined, at least in part, by a water leg extended inwardly from a side wall of the fire box, and a relatively thin refractory surfacing structure substantially covering said leg and having a. corrugated surface disposed toward the interior of the pan.

I 5. In an oil-burning fire box construction, a burner pan defined, at least in part, by a water leg, and a relatively thin refractory surfacing structure substantially covering said leg and having a substantially uneven surface disposed toward the interior of the pan and a substantially smooth surface contacting with said leg.

6. In an oil-burning fire box construction, side water walls, a water leg projecting inwardly and downwardly from a water wall to define, at least in part, a wall of a pan adapted to the burning of oil, and an apertured refractory surfacing structure for said leg.

7. In an oil-burning fire box construction, side water walls, a water leg projecting inwardly and downwardly from a water wall to define, at least in part, a wall of a pan adapted to the burning of oil, and an apertured refractory surfacing structure for said leg, said apertures being of relatively narrow elongated form.

8. In an oil-burning firebox construction, side water walls, a water leg projecting inwardly and downwardly from a water wall to define, at least in part, a wall of a pan adapted to the burning of oil, and an apertured refractory surfacing structure for said leg, said apertures having bevelled edges disposed toward the interior of the pan.

9. In a locomotive fire box construction having generally upright side water. walls, a water leg curved inwardly and downwardly from one of said side water walls to define a wall surface of a pan adapted to the burning of oil, and a. refractory surfacing for said leg composed of bricks of generally thin flat shape curved at one side to conform to the curvature of said leg and irregularly formed as to thickness in such manner as to increase surface exposure of the bricks toward the interior of the pan.

10. In a locomotive fire box construction having generally upright side water walls, a water leg extended inwardly and downwardly from one of said sidewater walls to define a wall surface of a pan adapted to the burning of oil, and a refractory surfacing for said leg composed of relatively thin bricks supported thereon and lying in juxtaposition thereto, the thickness of said bricks being suflicient to protect the relatively restricted cross sectional area of the oil cornbustion space from material cooling action by said water leg without, however, materially restricting the rate of heat transfer to said leg.

G. M. BEAN.- 

